Chapter 27: Blogs, Wikis, and Social Networks

Blogs, wikis, and social networks are becoming more and more popular in today's workplace. These can be important resources if you are a technical writer. Blogs and wikis allow you to update information as you need, and social networks allow employees to connect with one another.

These types of resources have two different audiences: internal and external audience. Internal means people within an organization, while external refers to people outside of the organization. Blogs and wikis are best when people want to know how to do something, while social networking tools allow professionals to interact.

Blogs are great for showcasing technical communication, such as email threads or discussions on hobbies or mutual interests. Internal blogs are accesible only within companies and they have been proven to enhance workflow and increase morale. They are an alternative to email, and they are especially useful for team projects and collaborating. External blogs allow for customer feedback and are used as a marketing tool for the companies products or services. Tone is absolutely crucial in a company's blog though-- you want to be inviting and friendly so your blog is inviting!

RSS feeds (Really Simple Syndication) keep people updated and save time. They deliver summaries of blogs or news items to subscribers.

Wikis are a form of technical communication that allows a company to collect and keep information updated. Internal wikis can provide websites that are useful for given projects, but external wikis are open to many contributors.

When writing blogs and wikis, you should keep several guidelines in mind. First, use standard software because readers expect some similarity in all blogs. Second, keep Web guidelines in mind, and be sure to write differently for internal and external audiences. Also, be careful about posting comments on internal blogs! Blog and wiki entries should be checked periodically for credibility if anyone can post on them, and before adding to a wiki, please check to make sure all of your facts are straight.

Social networks, by definition, connect people to one another, but you can still use them for technical communication. Social networking use has increased in organizational communication, as it enhances the prominence of your organization. It can also be a powerful marketing tool. Some guidelines for using social media are also follows. It's best to write with a friendly and professional tone, and keep your ideas focused and specific. Make sure you check a licensing agreement or copyright information before posting certain videos or photos. Also, be discreet about what you do post-- omit damaging information! Finally, as always, keep your global audience in mind.

Group Discussion Question: Have you used internal social networking within a company? What did you think?

Chapter 26: Web Pages

Web pages can be better than print documents because they are easy to update and they save on printing costs. It's also incredibly easy to distribute Web pages-- simply send around the URL! Web pages are also interactive, which a print copy can never be. It should also be noted that a Web site refers to an entire site, while a Web page refers to only one page of the site.


It should be re-stated again, that your Web page should consider its audience and purpose. The Web can be accessed by anybody, so be careful about what you post. It's also pertinent to construct a purpose that will allow your reader to find exactly what they want when they visit your page-- in this day and age, if they don't find what they are looking for quickly, they'll move on!


Like I said in my last statement, people want information quickly when they search the Internet, so you should read up on several suggestions to make your web page more readable. Your page should be accessible, and contain worthwhile content. It should be sensibly arranged, with a clean and crisp page design and a good use of both visuals and special effects.


Some guidelines to keep in mind when writing web pages are as follows. It's best to chunk the information, which means that you want to eliminate longer paragraphs by breaking them up. You should write with a readable style, and keep your sentences and paragraphs short. It's best to try to catch your reader's attention in the first couple of paragraphs, and also to write in a factual, neutral tone. Choose meaningful words, and write with respect to interactive features that you may have on your page. It's most important to remember, however, that almost all Web pages can be accessed from anywhere around the world.


Designing your Web page is also critical, and the following points will make your page most effective. Try to keep an F-shape pattern, so that your top paragraphs are the most important, and additional links are in the left-hand margin. Also, use plenty of white space, and leave ample margins. Also, an unjustified right margin is easier to read. Hyperlinks are best used to direct readers to other information. Also, consistent font style and size are most appealing, and you should not underline anything for emphasis. Use ample heading as well, and use visuals to your advantage. Finally, a balanced color palette is most appealing and should reflect the theme of your page.


You can plan your Web site several ways, but I would recommend using storyboarding, working with a team, or using a software that can convert documents to Web pages.


Since Web pages will most likely have global audiences, consider global implications when writing your blog. Write in clear, simple English that is easily translatable, and avoid any direct cultural references or humor. You can also offer different language options. And your color scheme and the visuals you provide should be appropriate to a variety of cultural groups.


Web pages are not immune to ethical and legal implications as well! You may be subject to copyright issues or privacy considerations.


Group Discussion Question: How would you appeal to a global audience when constructing a Web page? I guess it depends on your topic, but what about being respectful, or picking appropriate visuals?

Chapter 25: Oral Presentations and Webinars

In the workplace nowadays, it is incredibly important to have good communication and presentation skills. Oral presentations may differ in their form, but the higher you rise in your company, the more you can expect to give oral presentation. Face-to-face communication is sometimes better than documents because it allows you to use your personality and body language to your advantage. However, oral presentations only give you one attempt to impress your audience, whereas you could revise a document numerous times before you submitted it.

When you are planning your presentation, you should analyze your audience and purpose for your oral presentation. This is actually different than when you are writing. You should do everything you can to learn about your audience beforehand, but you'll oftentimes be presenting to a mixed group. Next, you should consider what situation you will be speaking in. How much time will you have? What, exactly, is your reason for speaking? And how large will your audience be? Then, you can select a type of presentation from the following list: informative presentation (provides facts and explanations), training/instructional presentations (a how-to), persuasive presentations (attempts to gain support or change an opinion), action plan presentations (motivates people to take action), and sales presentations (inform and persuade).

There are also several types of delivery methods you can take when giving your presentation. You can memorize your speech, but this takes a long time to prepare and it's best avoided in workplace situations. An impromptu delivery is natural, but it can only be pulled off when you really know your material. Scripted delivery is meant for complex topics-- you should consider this method when you really want your presentation to be perfect. The last method is extemporaneous delivery, which is carefully planned and practiced and based on notes. Careful preparation is key to this method!

When preparing your presentation, plan systematically. First, you must research your topic carefully. Next, aim for simplicity and conciseness by boiling your material down to a few key points. Typical attention spans hold for about thirty minutes, so brief is best. It's best to also anticipate questions from your audience. Your presentation outline will contain the basic pieces: an introduction (capture your audience and give a preview), a body (use transition words to show you are moving from point to point), and a conclusion (where you tie everything together).

You should also include visuals in your presentation because they oftentimes will spark your audience's attention. The visuals that you should use will probably vary by the topic that you are presenting upon. Creating a storyboard is helpful as well. You can also fit each of your visuals to the situation you are in.  When preparing your visuals, be selective, make sure they are easy to read and understand, and use the appropriate technology to present them for the highest amount of quality. It's also important to choose the right medium for your visual, but you should keep in mind that the more technology you use, the more you will need to prepare.

Delivering your presentation is the most important part of this post. Your delivery should be rehearsed, and you should get a feel for the situation you are presenting to first. You can also cultivate a human landscape by doing the following: knowing your audience, being reasonable, displaying enthusiasm and confidence, and avoiding preaching. There are also several guidelines you can follow to keep your listeners involved and focused on your presentation. Start with a clear and engaging introduction. Next, give concrete examples, and provide explicit transitions. Then, review and interpret your information. Plan how you will use visuals that are not computer-involved, and manage how you present (your body language, your volume, and eye contact). Also, manage your speaking situation by listening to feedback, sticking to your plan, and leaving your listeners with something to remember you by.

Webinars are Web-based seminars and they allow you to deliver your presentation via the Internet, which is perfect for situations where everyone you need to talk to is not in the area. It's possible to use the following technologies within a Webinar: PowerPoint, digital whiteboards, real-time chat tools, and videos.

Group Discussion Questions: Have you ever been involved in a Webinar? Was it easy or difficult to stay involved? I find that I get easily distracted because I am in my own element still!

Chapter 24: Proposals

Proposals are a form of persuasive document that persuades a given audience to take some form of action. Like any other document, you'll want to consider your audience and purpose when constructing your proposal. Your proposal will involve the following basic tasks (Lannon, pg. 583):

1. Spell out the problem (and its causes) clearly and convincingly.
2. Point out the benefits of solving the problem.
3. Offer a realistic, cost-effective solution.
4. Address anticipated objections to your solution.
5. Convince your audience to act.

The main purpose of your proposal is to convince your audience to accept whatever plan you're proposing. A report is usually written before a proposal, and a basic proposal can be summarizing simply: a plan is offered for something that needs to be done.

Proposals can either be solicited or unsolicited. Solicited proposals are those that are requested by a manager, client, or customer, while an unsolicited proposal is one that has not been requested. Also, proposals may be informal or formal. Informal proposals can be either emails or memos (within the organization), or a letter (sent outside the organization). Formal proposals, however, are much like formal reports, which were discussed in the previous blog post.

All proposals, no matter what the type, will have one of three basic purposes: planning proposals, research proposals, and sales proposals. A planning proposal is meant to provide solutions for a problem and make suggestions for improvement. A research proposal is often a request for approval and funding for a type of study-- these are written mainly by agencies. The goal of the project is carefully laid out in these proposals. Sales proposals typically offer a product or service.

Effective proposals will often have the same elements, and reviewers will evaluate your proposal on the following aspects. Your title should be forecasting of what your proposal will include. You should also include a brief background section if your readers are already familiar with the context. A description of your solution should be next, and it describes your plan to solve the problem. You should also have a clear focus on benefits, and relate those benefits directly to your client's needs. Also, only provide honest and supportable claims-- basically, you should promise only what you can deliver. Appropriate detail is vital, too, in addition to your document being easily readable.

You should also use a tone that will allow you to connect with your readers-- you should be confident and encouraging. You can use visuals to your advantage, and tailor your page design so your document is easier to read. Supplements can also help when you have a diverse audience. However, it's important to properly cite your sources and contributors because your proposal will rarely be all of your own work.

Like every other document I have written about, your proposal will have an introduction, a body section, and a conclusion. Your introduction will be where you house your description of the problem and an immediate objective, in addition to any details that will help the reader understand the problem. The body section will include how the plan will be implemented and what costs and personnel are needed to solve the problem. Your conclusion section will reemphasize your need and encourage action to solve your problem.

Group Discussion Question: Is there an air of bias in proposal writing? Why?

Chapter 23: Formal Analytical Reports

Formal analytical reports replace memos when the topic requires a longer discussion, and they typically lead to recommendations. They include a title page, table of contents, a system of headings, and a list of references or works cited. Analytical report readers want to know information about an issue, what conclusions they should draw, and what they should do about the issue.


When constructing your report, you should always consider your audience and your purpose. Formal reports are almost always written for decision makers, and the purpose will be centered around that audience.


Workplace problem solving will oftentimes involve three parts: casual analysis, comparative analysis, and feasibility analysis. Casual analysis reveals a problem at its source, while comparative analysis rates competing items on specific criteria. Lastly, feasibility analysis will assess the practicality of an idea or plan. It is also possible to combine analysis types.


An effective analysis will often possess the same elements. Your analysis will have a clearly identified problem or purpose-- using words like "examine" or "evaluate" will let your audience know exactly what your report will be about. You should include adequate but not excessive data; your audience will dictate how much data is too much. Your data should also be accurate and balanced. Make sure that your data is fully interpreted as well-- this explains the significance of your data and the meaning of your evidence. You shouldn't let any bias cloud your evidence or arguments as well. Visuals should also be used generously, accompanying each with a fully interpreted explanation. It's best to offer valid conclusions and recommendations. A valid conclusion is based off of logic from accurate interpretations, and your recommendation tells the audience what exactly they should do. Self-assessment is also critical when you are working on a report, because the more you are involved in something, the larger your stake is in its outcome. This means that its important your report is excellent!


Your finished report will also depend upon a properly done outline. Like stated in earlier blogs, your outline will include an introduction (definition and background of the problem, description of the problem, purpose and scope of the inquiry, and the conclusions of the inquiry), body paragraphs (definition, findings, and interpretations of several topics and subtopics), and a conclusion (review of major findings, overall judgement, a course of action, and a call to action).


Formal reports will also include front and end supplements. Front matter could be a letter of transmittal, title page, table of contents, list of tables and figures, and an abstract or executive summary. End matter can include a glossary, appendices, and a references or works cited list.


Group Discussion Question: How would you go about combined different types of analyses? And in what situations would you need to combine analyses?

Chapter 22: Informal Reports

Informal reports differ from long formal reports because they are prepared quickly and they contain no background information and they require no supplements (like a title page, table of contents, glossary, works cited or index). Informal reports are meant to help people make decisions, but these decisions can vary largely. They also often take the form of a memorandum (memo), and they are usually distributed as email attachments, PDF files, or hard copies.


Informal reports often come in two types: informational and analytical. Informational reports offer information and answer basic questions of progress, activities, and meetings or discussions. They provide updates that keep an organization running from day to day. Analytical reports offer information and conclusions based upon that information. Analysis can be defined as evaluating information, accurately interpreting it, drawing conclusions on it, and making some sort of persuasive recommendation on it. These types of reports tell a reader whether a project is feasible, how to proceed, revision suggests of others, and a justification of a particular position.


Another type of informal report is a progress report that monitors progress and/or problems on a given project. They can either be written for the company, for its customers, or for the general public. In fact, many contracts within companies stipulate that progress reports are presented at given time intervals.


Periodic activity reports are like progress reports because they can be a summary of activities over a period of time, but they are different because they only summarize general activities, not project specific ones.


Trip reports focus only on business-related travel over a period of time. These are necessary because an employer need to know if the money spent on the trip was worth its outcome-- it also showcases what the employee learned on the trip.


Meeting minutes are another variation of an informal report. Minutes are the records of meetings, and they are usually distributed via email to all the members and those who are interested in the particular meeting that took place. Typically, one person is responsible for recording the minutes.


A feasibility report lets its readers make a decision about whether to an idea, plan or course of action is realistic and practical. Typically managers and decision makers will receive the feasibility reports in an office, and the report normally provides answers to questions like these (Lannon, pg. 527):

• What is the problem or situation, and how should we deal with it?
• Is this course of action likely to succeed?
• Do the benefits outweigh the drawbacks or risks?
• What are the pros and cons, and the alternatives?
• Should anything be done at all? Should we wait? Is the timing right?

Recommendation reports are those that state an affirmative position instead of examining why the approach will work. They are made for decision makers, but they tend to skip the feasibility analysis. It's important to gather the right information, however, before you make any recommendations.


Justification reports are those that justify your position following one of your recommendation. These reports are meant for people who recognized a problem and created a solution on their own-- they are persuasive, by nature, and they encourage your reader to take action.


A peer review report is the last type of informal report, and it provides a means for peers to give each other constructive criticism and feedback on their work. You should begin with the positives, and always provide some sort of constructive criticism, which must be supported with examples and advice to improve your work. When working with peers, too, it's best to close positively and diplomatically, no matter how much criticism you provided.


Group Discussion Question: Does a justification report always need to follow a recommendation report?

Chapter 21: Instructions and Procedures

Instructions are steps for completing a task or series of tasks, while procedures serve as official guidelines. Like other documents, it is important to consider your audience and purpose before you prepare your instructions. Focus on what people expect to learn from your instructions.


Instructional documents can also take on several different formats, including: manuals (instructions for many tasks), brief reference cards (fit on a single page or less), instructional brochures (distributed to a broad audience), hyperlinked instructions (can match any audience's needs), and online instructions (a digital version of a print manual).


Instructional documents can carry some serious ethical and legal implications. Some examples of faulty instructions that can create legal liability include (Lannon, pg. 488):

• Failure to instruct and caution users in the proper use of a product.
• Failure to warn against hazards from proper use of a product.
• Failure to warn against the possible misuses of a  product.
• Failure to explain a product's benefits and risks in language that average consumers can understand.
• Failure to convey the extent of risk with forceful language.
• Failure to display warnings prominently.

Effective documents will also have some of the same elements. They will include a clear and limiting title, which give a forecast of what the task will be. The content will be informed, and the procedure should be clear. Visuals promote interest, commitment, or action, as well. You should also include the appropriate level of detail and technicality, which will depend on who your audience is and what they need. You should also provide background information and appropriate details. This means you should focus on the task and not the product itself, reinforcing your statement with adequate visuals. Examples are also very helpful. It's also a good idea to anticipate when things go wrong and how to correct them. Steps should be ordered logically, and possible hazard should be noted. Instructions are normally for people who want to take immediate action, so your steps should be easy to read quickly.

Your instructions should probably have an outline as well. Outlines generally have the same elements: an introduction, a body with required steps, and a conclusion. The conclusion can be a summary, a description of the results, an offering of follow-up advice,  and troubleshooting advice.

Instructions can also be in a digital format, which is nice because the cost of printing and updating instructions is rising. It's easy and common to convert instructions to PDF files, which retain their original format. Instructions can also come of CDs, and some may be built into software programs. Video instructions may also be helpful when providing "how-to" instructions.

Due to the aforementioned legal and ethical issues that may arise, it is important to conduct usability evaluations of your instructional documents. You can set up focus groups or think-aloud evaluations to do this.

Procedures set up a set of guidelines, and they keep everyone on the same page and also help to ensure safety.

Group Discussion Question: When would you need a procedure, as opposed to just a set of instructions?